(1) Field of the Invention
The invention pertains generally to interactive program guides (IPGs) and electronic program guides (EPGs) for television and other media content. More specifically, the invention relates to a media system that provides a program guide allowing users to quickly see what is playing on a plurality of television channels.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Electronic program guides (EPGs) and interactive program guides (IPGs) are menus that are shown on a television (TV) or other display device listing currently playing and upcoming content available on various TV channels. An EPG is usually non-interactive such as a continuously scrolling menu whereas an IPG is interactive so that a user can move a cursor around the menu in order to highlight programs and channels, get more information, and make a selection of desired content.
One problem with currently available EPGs and IPGs is that it is difficult for a user unfamiliar with the channel line up to find desired content to watch. For example, a foreign guest of a hotel may be completely unfamiliar with any of the channel brands and names of the channels that are available in the hotel. The guest must therefore take considerable time initially to read the IPG and find desired content.
An example of this problem is as follows. A business traveler based out of North America is staying at a hotel in Beijing and wishes to watch live a golf competition occurring in the United States. In another example, a Chinese business traveler is staying at a hotel in Toronto and wishes to watch a soccer match taking place in Central America. In both these situations, the guest may desire to watch a well-known and famous sporting event, but due to being in an unfamiliar television landscape (e.g., a hotel in a foreign country), the guest may have trouble finding the desired channel that is covering the event. For one, the guest may not understand the language utilized on the EPG/IPG at the hotel. Furthermore, even if the language of the EPG/IPG is understood by the guest, a new guest at a hotel will most likely not know the channel line-up offered by the hotel and may not recognize the names of the channels or be able to quickly ascertain the types of content that are playing on the various available channels. Trying to find a famous sporting event may be difficult and/or time consuming in these circumstances. Trying to find a lesser known program such as a specific news program or talk show may be even more troublesome.